I talked to a few TMC drivers at the local fuel stop about the orientation at TMC and one had a trainee with him.Ask him about the way school went and he seemed pretty happy.I recently sold my equipment and was thinking of a change from pulling a reefer to flatbed.I have plenty of time behind the wheel but basically no flatbed experience and TMC is just a few miles away.Before I call them I would like to get some info from recent students and current drivers as what to espect as far as cost and actual training at Des Moines.I like to get some first hand input before I actually talk to the person at TMC, Thanks
First thing, stay off the grass. Not a joke. As an experienced driver you will be in Des Moines for a week going over company info, logs and things and they will teach you securement, then 2 weeks with a trainer before you get your own truck. The orientation is pretty much the same as other companies, about 3 days and securement for 2 days. They go over securement fairly well, but I think they expect your trainer to explain in further detail. Don't know of a cost, other than food. They give a meal ticket for lunch but not dinner. They will provide all your needed securement and you are responsible for it. Don't know what else, keep your head down and ask smart questions.
Read & explore the TMC threads on this site. Drive down and visit the TMC headquarters & personnel (since you are so close). You will probably have a different experience than most of the people who post here, because you are local. If they accept you, remember you are on a 4 week interview, so be on your best behavior at all times. I agree with everything previous poster said, w/one exception: Don't worry about asking questions (there are no smart/dumb questions), orientation is the place to get those out of the way. Now, don't get silly w/them. As always: Common sense is King. I hear that they (TMC) do expect new drivers to have, or 'promise to get', HazMat, PassPort & TWIC. Expect to pay for these out of your pocket, otherwise I would not expect you to have any further out of pocket expenses. As a new driver I was treated fairly at all times when I worked for them. They have their quirks, but it's made clear what they expect. Read the literature, follow the rules, play the game. Only once in over two years did I have a payroll dispute, and they resolved that to my satisfaction, in only a few hours (less than 5 hours).
i just got a call from them with a job offer. problem is im under contract with crst for another 3 months. im gonna wait til my contract is up then probably go with tmc. hauling flatbed seems like fun. i know its hard work but hey no pain no gain. i was curious about the pay though. percent or mileage?
My recommendation would be to start out with percentage. Keep a written record of your earnings/load, and compare that to what you would have made under the mileage plan. Keep a running total for several weeks/months, then use this data to decide which plan would be best for yourself. If I remember correctly, you can change pay plans only twice per year, or every 6 months. If I remember correctly, mileage pay is based on years of drivng experience. Percentage pay is a point-system, based on a combination of many things (such as: revenue to the truck, MPG of truck, Out of route miles, etc). Hope this helps.
it does yes. i just got a call from a recruiter of TMC wanting to put me to work. problem is i am under contract with crst for another 2 1/2 months. once my contract is up im gonna give them a call and see what they can offer me. my own truck and weekends home is a good start!!
